Child Protection Technical Coordinator – Alight

DESCRIPTION

Hello Hello!  Alight is recruiting a Child Protection Technical Coordinator for our program in Uganda to be based in Rwamwanja. You’re interested in joining us? Welcome, we’re happy you’re here!

If you join us, you will find…

A team with deep experience in co-designing solutions that create new value around the world. We know we need to always be better, and we believe in the power and abundance of everyday people, everywhere, to change the world with us.

A culture of radical accountability to our customers –as we help build a meaningful life for and with the displaced, we ask them what they want and then deliver on it.

ROLE DESCRIPTION:

Reporting to the Programs Coordintor, the Child Protection Technical Coordinator will provide overall technical leadership in the planning, designing, coordination and monitoring the implementation quality programmes that mainstream Child Protection interventions and mobilizing resources for his/her technical area in line with Alight’s overall project goal and objectives. He/she will lead national advocacy efforts, managing strategic partnerships, guiding technical implementation at field level and support respective managers in mitigating child protection risks. He / she will be responsible for developing and implementing the Child Protection Strategy for Alight Uganda Country Program in line with the international standards and best practices. He or she will act as the main liaison and Child Protection technical lead in Alight Uganda Program and ensure internal and external collaboration with other partners and respective stakeholders in protection work.

This position is also the main focal point for Child Protection Policy, liaising with Human Resource department to ensure that staff, partners and visitors comply with Child Protection policy.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Dimensions of the Role

• Programme Design and Programme Quality – leads his/her technical area by designing new programs and advice to Senior Management Team in relation to new trends and priorities in the area of Child Protection, while ensuring quality implementation of all Child Protection related projects and components.
• Budgets/Assets – the post-holder advises on budget allocation to Child Protection projects, monitor project budget performance and review financial reports to ensure consistency with narrative reports.
• Non-staff – responsible for managing the relationship with partners implementing Child Protection projects.
• Communication – the post holder maintains regular and structured communication with key stakeholders, program and business development teams, partners, other CSOs, relevant government departments or duty bearers at local, district, national, regional and international levels on child protection programme related issues.
• Risk management – the post is responsible for managing and mitigating all risks related to Child Protection in close collaboration with the Programs Coordinator and HR Coordinator.
• Advocacy, Influencing and Visibility – the post has a strong external dimension by representing Alight Uganda on Child Protection issues, aligning projects to the Advocacy Strategy and the SDG influencing plan. Identify major gaps between policy and practice.
• Partnership Management – mapping and meeting potential partners, collaborators and networks; support their capacity building process and manage relationship building.
• Reach/Breadth of the post – the position is mainly at national and local levels, with strong interaction at Program Unit level, and requires a strong interpersonal professional working relationships with children, parents/guardians, community leaders, local/national organizations, government officials, other professionals, other stakeholders (both state and non-state actors) to strengthen child protection systems and practices.

Key End Results of Position.

Program Development and Management:

• Develop and review Child Protection Strategy in line with the Project documents and align them to set guidelines and standards.
• Provide overall leadership in managing and coordinating the implementation of Child Protection interventions according to the respective projects’ implementation guidelines and Alight standards.
• Develops minimum standards and technical frameworks on Child Protection that can guide Alight Uganda into project design.
• Designs high quality concept notes and proposals for resource mobilization calls on Child Protection issues and ensures that child protection interventions are informed by and integrated with other strategic technical areas of GBV/Protection, MHPSS and Livelihood.
• Ensure that the Programme Quality Policy and Procedures are followed in his/her technical area.
• Ensure effective donor compliance during project implementation by child protection staff and partners, including producing high quality and timely reports on progress.
• Support the integration and mainstreaming of Child Protection and Child Rights in all Alight programming through collaboration with Program sites and sectoral projects.
• Provide technical support for design, implementation and evaluation of Child Protection programs
•  Meaningfully engage local partners and community members, particularly women and girls, in all aspects of design, implementation, and monitoring of Child Protection Interventions in order to maintain inclusive programs, contextual relevance, and sustainability.
• Prepare budget at national level, advises PMs on budget allocation for Child Protection programs and monitors timely implementation of budgets.
• Produce high quality documentation on Child Protection interventions aiming at programme modelling, replication and scaling up. Facilitates organisational learning in the country by developing, collecting and disseminating relevant internal and external program information on Child Protection.

Capacity Strengthening and Human Resources:

• Provide strong and positive leadership to the Child Protection teams in implementation of the Child protection interventions.
• Technical management of staff/teams who are implementing Child Protection activities, monitoring program quality by technically guiding field implementation, overseeing budget expenditure, reviewing quarterly reports and coordinate Child Protection interventions country wide.
• Identify learning and training opportunities for staff and work as a mentor and role model to ensure compliance and understanding of Child Protection Policy while supporting staff capacity development in child protection thematic area at different levels.
• Standardize Technical Guidelines/Training Materials for the implementation of the Child Protection Project models.
• Develop, facilitate awareness and internalization of the Alight Child Protection Policy and standards through orientation, training and monitoring of Alight staff and partners.
• Developing capacity building plans and provide training, coaching and mentorship on Child Protection to country program staff and partners. Supervise Child Protection case management to ensure client-centered case management and psychosocial support services in line with international guidelines through one-on-one supervision, case consultations, observational exercises, and other regular mentoring and debriefing exercises.
• Monitor and provide objective feedback related to staff performance to promote growth and professional development.
• Ensure, technical capacities of field level Child Protection staff are enhanced in order to meet the requirements of expected project implementation.

Coordination & Advocacy:

• Manages and oversee national advocacy efforts in the area of Child Protection in collaboration with other Technical Coordinators.
• Support with technical documentation of evidences from the projects, develop position papers and write stories of change when required. Ensures that all projects on Child Protection have advocacy asks that aligned to the Advocacy Strategy and the SDG influencing plan.
• Ensure that Alight’s work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and government and represents Alight at national, regional and international level on matters relating to Child Protection programming and networks within and outside of Alight.
• Establish and manage strategic partnerships with local organizations and government institutions.
• Influence and guide Alight Uganda Senior Management Team to ensure full compliance with Child Protection Policy.

• Represent Alight Uganda Program in all relevant coordination meetings to advocate for the interest of children.
• Act as the main focal point for interactions with donors and partners, including the UNHCR Protection Team in regards to Child Protection matters.
• Work collaboratively with other sectors such as GBV, MHPSS, Livelihoods and area coordination to ensure safety of children is prioritized across all activities in project implementation sites.
• Strengthen and maintain effective working relationships with all relevant stakeholders including community members, NGOs, government authorities and UN agencies in the implementation of Child Protection Interventions.
• Participate in coordination meetings at national, cluster and camp and settlement levels.
• Identify and build strategic linkages, relations, collaborations and networks with partners and other stakeholders in planning and implementation of Child Protection activities.
• Develop a database of strategic networks and partnerships for advocacy within the respective project locations / sites and at national level.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning: 

• Lead the development of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Framework for the thematic area; develops quality TORs for evaluations, baselines and research.
• Keep tracks, in collaboration with MER team, on the outcomes, indicators, milestones and targets of Child Protection in the Country Strategy and consolidates the progress for the Quarterly and Annual Reports.
• Evaluate the implementation of Alight child protection activities and draft recommendations for improved program design and implementation
• Disseminate learning as appropriate among Alight staff, partners and other stakeholders
• Monitor the timely implementation, financial management and reporting of the child protection and in compliance with donor requirements.

• Ensure timely submission of all Child Protection program reports, quality of data and proper archival of information.
• Conduct regular meetings with Child Protection staff, other program staff and community members to assess progress toward Child Protection objectives, discuss issues and assist in finding solutions to challenges identified.
• Maintain updated budget and indicator tracking tools to monitor progress of Child Protection implementation in Alight Uganda Program.
• Perform any other duties assigned.

REQUIREMENTS

• A Master’s degree (preferred) in Human Rights, Social Sciences, Social Work and Social Administration, Community Psychology, Development Studies or its equivalent, with professional training on child rights programming.
• Postgraduate Diploma in Project Planning and Management is an added advantage.
• At least 5 years managerial or technical advisory experience in the design, implementation and evaluation of Child Protection programmes, including donor compliance.
• Experience in Child Protection and Gender Based Violence programming in the humanitarian sector and solid knowledge and practical experience in community based child protection approaches, case management, psychosocial support, gender based violence and child participation methodologies.
• Knowledge of environment and current effective practices of Child Protection in Uganda, including existing networks, CSOs and government stakeholders.
• In-depth knowledge of the development sector and demonstrable knowledge of Child Protection programming in humanitarian context, especially on strengthening systems approach.
• Proven experience in programme design, developing strategy and being responsible for technical implementation of the programme setting, including budget management, monitoring and evaluating child protection programmes in humanitarian contexts.
• Ability to identify the main gaps in Child Protection in the given context to inform a holistic response for children.
• Experience working with and or managing variety of donor funded programs as well as compliance with donor regulations.
• Understanding of gender in Child Protection and tackling exclusion.
• Demonstrable experience in participatory design, Monitoring, Evaluation and Research systems approaches to protection, emergency preparedness and relief management.
• Strong people management skills with the ability to effectively lead.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Excellent report writing, research, documentation, and presentation skills.
• Self-motivated with excellent management and leadership skills.
• Track record of success in grant fundraising, including donor relations and proposal writing
• Must be ready to work in a multi-cultural environment and have the ability to maintain performance expectations in the diverse cultural context, psychologically stressful environments and physical hardship conditions with limited resources.
• Possess the ability to work with different partners, local authorities, local organizations and NGOs.
• Good familiarity, networking and working relationships with different donors and other partner organizations
• In-depth understanding of the root causes of Child protection concerns, related international standards, and child protection prevention and response strategies.
• Must be emotionally mature.

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